EPIPHANY

A Season of Glory

On January 6th, the church celebrates the feast of Epiphany recognizing the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world as Savior of both Israel and the Gentiles. During the season of Epiphany that follows, we celebrate that Christ is made known to us, revealed to us, and made manifest in and around us. We desire to see him as he is–starting with the revelation to the Magi, through his baptism, and into his life of ministry. Jesus is being made known to us and to the world.

As Jesus is revealed in glory during Epiphany, we engage in the mission of the church–to witness to this reality that Jesus Christ came into the world to bring healing, light, and life. Thus, we want to make space for others to come to know and experience him as well. We bless our homes to be places of peace and hospitality. We commend our vocations to the Lord as a means for Jesus’ presence to be made manifest to those around us. And we pray for those in our lives who do not yet know Jesus–that he may be made known to them.

We look forward to this season of Epiphany together when we can make space for others so that we may all, as Fleming Rutledge says, “discover anew the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO ENGAGE

  • Courageous Conversations (with Israel Baptist)

    During the season of Epiphany, we will be engaging in several dialogues called “Courageous Conversations” with members of Israel Baptist Church. We will have an opportunity as brothers and sisters in Christ to eat together and discuss our lived experiences at the intersection of faith and race. We hope to create a cohort experience in which the same groups (with representations from both churches) will meet over the course of three nights, receive guidance by a table facilitator, and center discussions on provided content.

    REGISTER

  • House Blessing

    It is traditional during the season of Epiphany to do a house blessing. We have created a download you all can use with your friends or family to bless and invite Christ to be more present in our homes this season.

    DOWNLOAD

  • Vocational Prayers

    Each Sunday in Epiphany, we will be praying over a specific vocational group. You can find these prayers and others, published by the Global Faith & Work Initiative, using the link below.

    PRAYERS FOR WORK GUIDE

MLK Service Project

Immanuel will be partnering with the MLK Service Project again this year in the city of Decatur! We will be helping longtime Decatur residents/seniors stay safely and comfortably in their homes by providing maintenance and repairs.

Learn more and sign up using the link below…

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Have you joined the Community Happenings Message Board? Members of our Connect Team and congregation plan a variety of opportunities to connect with one another–Backyard Movie Night, Men's Disc Golf Tournament, and more! To find out about these and other events, join the group using the link below…

Suggested Reading

We’ve added some new titles to our bookstore to help you engage more fully in this season. You can grab these books on Sunday morning or use the links below to purchase them yourself.

Epiphany: The Season of Glory by Fleming Rutledge

Luke for Everyone  by NT Wright

Liturgical Mission by Winfield Bevins

Missional Spirituality by Roger Helland and Leonard Hjalmarson